By Arthur Kezian

A smile definitely makes a big difference. Don’t you just wish you had a brighter and whiter smile? And what do you think makes ones smile look good? It’s having whiter teeth.

What is Dental Whitening?

Teeth whitening, is a common procedure done in the field of cosmetic dentistry or in a dental office. You can notice that children having deciduous teeth or primary teeth have a much whiter in appearance compared to adult having permanent teeth.

As one grows older, our teeth tend to turn yellow because of the food we consume and compared to children, they have whiter teeth. Also due to changes in the structure of minerals of your teeth, the enamel becomes less porous.  Food and drinks that have color are the ones which make it discolored and collect stains. Also, certain medications taken when you were still in your mother’s womb is a big factor of having stained teeth. Certain antibiotic medication such as tetracycline causes to permanent teeth to have stain and result to reduction and brittleness of the enamel of your teeth. Smoking is also a factor for having discolored teeth.

There are a lot of ways where teeth can be whitened with a cosmetic dentist. These are whitening strips, whitening toothpaste, bleaching gels, bleaching pen and laser whitening. You have a choice either you can do it at home or at the dental office.  Traditional at home bleaching involves by applying a bleaching gel into a thin, clear dental guard tray. There are also strips of whitening materials placed over the front teeth/ Proper directions should be followed for better results.

Dental bleaching agents either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide which penetrates the rod-like structures of the teeth which are called “dentinal tubules”.  It also oxides the stain deposits up to the “dentin layer “or the underlying layer after the enamel. Power bleaching is used where a light energy source or machine to help accelerate the process of dental bleaching.

The most effective among the bleaching methods is having it done by a dentist and a special machine is used to have it whitened. The bleaching agent is much more higher compared to over the traditional method and should be handled by an expert. You will get whiter teeth in a span of 60 – 90 minutes.

Teeth bleaching is not recommendable for individuals who already have sensitive teeth and gums. If your dentist sees that you have receding gums or broken fillings, they would recommend you to have it fixed first prior to having your teeth whitened. Children under 16 years of age are not recommended to have their teeth bleached because the nerve of their teeth or the “pulp” is still enlarged and may get irritated because of the bleaching agent which is hydrogen peroxide. Even pregnant or lactating women are not recommended to have their teeth bleached. If you are also sensitive and allergic to products which contain peroxide, whitening is not recommended.

Visit your dentist for further assistance and if you have any questions please feel free to give Dr. Arthur Kezian.

Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS 443 N. Larchmont Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90004 (323) 467-2777